The present invention generally relates to a serial printer of the type having a current application type printing head which is mounted on a carrier and provided with independent recording electrode groups on both sides of its tip, the carrier being movable back and forth to sequentially print out data in both directions in a paper which is wrapped around a platen. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mechanism for rotating, or swinging, such a printing head so as to switch the angle of contact of the head with the platen between a forward and a rearward stroke of the carrier.
There has already been proposed a serial printer of the type having a carrier which is movable along a platen in both of a forward stroke, i.e., usually fom the left to the right and a backward stroke, i.e., from the right to the left so as to print out data during both of its forward and backward strokes. Another serial printer heretofore proposed uses a recording material (ribbon or paper) which is provided with a conductive layer. In this kind of serial printer, the conductive layer is connected to ground via a ground electrode, and a current is selectively applied to a group of recording electrodes of a recording head which are pressed against the conductive layer. This causes the recording electrodes to heat to print out data in the paper.
However, as regards printers of the type described, no specific construction has heretofore been proposed when it comes to a head rotating mechanism for changing the angle of contact of the recording head with the platen, so that a recording electrode group mounted, usually, on the right-hand side of the tip of the head may be used during a forward stroke and a recording electrode group mounted on the left-hand side during a backward stroke.